Haunted Memories: The Islamic Republic’s Executions of Kurds in 1979

This report provides a detailed account of the unlawful summary trials and executions that took place in the Kurdish regions of Iran during August and September of 1979.

Pursuant to Ayatollah Khomeini’s instructions to crush the Kurds, Ayatollah Sadegh Khalkhali ordered that tens of people be executed in a matter of weeks. While these events took place over 30 years ago, they are still relevant today as they turned out to be only a prelude to the Islamic Republic’s regular and persistent suppression of minority voices.